Weld-on restoring caps for self-powered compactors

ABSTRACT

A restoring cap for attachment to a worn tamper cap of a compaction roller which restores the worn tamper cap to its original shape and dimension comprising a casting with a tamping surface having end portions and a ridge portion intermediate of and parallel with the end portions; side walls extending from the ridge portion toward the end portions angularly with decreasing depth; and a lower wall contoured to conform to the shape of a worn tamper cap.

nited States Lntz atent [451 Apr. 18, 1972 [54] WELD-0N RESTORING CAPS FOR SELF-POWERED COMPACTORS [72] Inventor: Kenneth V. Lutz, 19782 Glen Brae Drive,

Saratoga, Calif. 95070 [22] Filed: Nov. 23, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 91,817

52] us. Cl. ..94/s0 PR [51] Int. Cl. 4 ..F0lc 19/26 [58] Field of Search ..94/50; 301/43, 44

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,168,767 2/1965 Lutz ..94/50 PR Shatto ..94/5O PR Atkinson ..94/50 PR Primary Examiner-Jacob L. Nackenoff Attorney-Jack M. Wiseman [57] ABSTRACT A restoring cap for attachment to a worn tamper cap of a corn-- paction roller which restores the worn tamper cap to its original shape and dimension comprising a casting with a tamping surface having end portions and a ridge portion intermediate of and parallel with the end portions; side walls extending from the ridge portion toward the end portions angularly with decreasing depth; and a lower wall contoured to conform to the shape of a worn tamper cap.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 20 B KENNETH v. LUTZ INVENTOR BY I ATTORNEY WELD-N RESTORING CAPS FOR SELF-POWERED COMPACTORS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in general to compaction rollers, and more particularly to a restoring cap for restoring a worn tamping cap on a compaction roller.

Compaction rollers include a drum with radially disposed tampers having caps at the free ends thereof to pack road fill materials. The fill materials packed by the tamper caps have an abrasive effect on the tamper caps and tend to cause excessive wear on the edges of the tamper caps. As a result thereof, the tamper caps become rounder and worn. Consequently, the effectiveness of the tamper caps for packing fill materials is lessened, and will not meet specifications for required compacting area to weight ratio set by State and Federal inspectors.

U.S. patents disclosing tampers and tamper caps for compaction rollers are as follows: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,168,767; 3,040,638; 2,503,161; 2,334,778.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A restoring cap for attachment to a worn tamper cap comprising a lower wall contoured to conform to the shape of a worn tamper cap; a tamping surface with end portions and a ridge portion intermediate of and parallel with the end portions; and side walls extending from the ridge portion of the tamping surface toward the end portions of the tamping surface sloping angularly with decreasing depth.

The present invention restores the free end of the tamper segment to its original size and configuration to improve the tamping capacity of a compaction roller by maintaining a full compacting surface. A savings of costs will be realized by operators of compaction rollers, since the restoring cap of the present invention is more durable and also serves to obviate the need for removing and disposing of worn tamper caps.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a compaction roller with segments embodying the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Illustrated in FIG. 1 is a well-known or conventional compaction roller 10, which comprises cylindrical drums 11. The drums 11 are supported in a well-known manner for rotation about a horizontal axis that travels in a path parallel to the ground. Projecting radially from the cylindrical walls 11a of the drums 11 are a plurality of soil tampers formed of shanks l2 and tamper caps 13. The tamper caps 13 are worn and are restored in accordance with the present invention. In the exemplary embodiment, the compaction roller is selfpropelled. The tamper 12 is of the type that is commonly known as the self-powered compactor type.

The compaction roller 10 serves to pack road and fill material. The drums 11 support the weight of the machine for producing a heavy load, and are supported for rotation to travel over fill material. The movement of the tampers 12 over the fill material results in an abrasive action on the tamping surfaces of the tamper caps 13. Consequently, the tamper caps 13 become round and worn. The tamper caps 13 are reduced in height and in tamping surface, thus lessening their effectiveness for compacting the fill material. The worn caps 13 are generally discarded and replaced. In accordance with the present invention, they are restored by a cap 15 of the present invention, which is welded in a conventional and well-known manner to the worn tamper cap 13.

The cap 15 of the present invention is a forged or cast steel cap, in the exemplary embodiment, produced by well-known forging and casting methods. More specifically, the cap 15 of the present invention comprises a bottom wall 20 (FIGS. 3 and 4), which is suitably curved lengthwise to conform generally to the contours of a worn rounded tamper cap 13. The bottom wall 20 includes longitudinal sides 20a and 20b; transverse ends 20c and 20d, and an intermediate transverse portion 20e. Oppositely directed rectangular openings 21 and 22 may be viewed from the bottom wall 20. The transverse ends and intermediate portions 20c-20e are also arcuate to conform generally to the worn transverse curvature of the tamper cap 13. Generally, the bottom surface 20 has a partial dish-like or concave curvature. The bottom surface 20 may be referred to as having a dish-like concavity with oppositely directed rectangular openings 21 and 22.

Projecting from the bottom wall 20 are confronting, parallel side walls 25 and 30 (FIGS. 3 and 5), which have generally a rectangular configuration. The base of the rectangular configuration has a curvature to conform to the lengthwise wearing of the tamper cap 13. Parallel, confronting, rectangular end walls extend between the side walls also. Extending between the side walls 25 and 30 is a tamping surface or wall 35. The tamping wall 35 comprises a pair of rectangular sections 36 and 37 that meet at a transverse junction 38 and are directed downwardly therefrom. The transverse junction 38 of the tamping wall 35 is a ridge portion that is intermediate of and parallel with the end portions of the tamping wall 35. The side walls 25 and 30 extend from the ridge portion 38 toward the end portions of the tamping wall 35 sloping angularly with decreasing depth. Thus, the transverse junction 38 constitutes a peak vertex or apex from which slope downwardly oppositely directed rectangular sections 36 and 37. The rectangular openings 21 and 22 appear in the tamper wall 35 as oppositely directed, rectangular openings formed in the rectangular sections 36 and 37, respectively.

The openings 21 and 22 become packed with soil and serve as part of the tamping surface. By virtue of the openings 21 and 22, the cap 15 will be more durable and last longer.

In use, the cap 15 is welded to a worn tamper cap by conventional welding techniques. Preferably, a high tensile, nickel manganese welding rod is employed. In so doing, the bottom wall 20 of the cap 15 engages the worn tamper surface of the tamper cap 13 and is fixedly secured thereto by welding. The cap 15, in the exemplary embodiment, may be a steel casting or forging. In the typical embodiment, the tamper cap 13 is secured to the shank 12 by a pivot pin and then is welded to the shank 12 by conventional methods.

After the worn tamper cap 13 is restored by the cap 15, a full compaction area is rebuilt. The dimensions and size of the tamper head is restored.

I claim:

1. A cap for restoring a worn tamper cap on a compaction roller comprising: a tamping surface with end portions and a ridge portion intermediate of and parallel with said end portions, confronting side walls extending from said ridge portion toward said end portions sloping angularly with decreasing depth, and a bottom wall on said side walls having a generally concave configuration to conform generally with the contour of a worn tamping surface of a tamper cap.

2. A cap as claimed in claim 1 in which said tamping surface comprises rectangular portions which include said end portions and that meet at a transverse junction which forms said ridge portion, said rectangular portions extending angularly from said ridge portion.

3. A compaction roller comprising:

a. a drum;

b. a plurality of shanks secured to said drum and projecting radially outward therefrom;

c. a worn tamper cap secured to the free end of one of said shanks, said worn tamper cap having a worn tamping surface; and

d. a restoring cap fixed to the tamping surface of said worn tamper cap, said restoring cap being formed with a bottom wall having a generally concave configuration to conform generally with the contour of the worn tamping surface of said worn tamper cap on which it is fixed, said restoring cap being further formed with a tamping surface having end portions and a ridge portion intermediate of 

1. A cap for restoring a worn tamper cap on a compaction roller comprising: a tamping surface with end portions and a ridge portion intermediate of and parallel with said end portions, confronting side walls extending from said ridge portion toward said end portions sloping angularly with decreasing depth, and a bottom wall on said sIde walls having a generally concave configuration to conform generally with the contour of a worn tamping surface of a tamper cap.
 2. A cap as claimed in claim 1 in which said tamping surface comprises rectangular portions which include said end portions and that meet at a transverse junction which forms said ridge portion, said rectangular portions extending angularly from said ridge portion.
 3. A compaction roller comprising: a. a drum; b. a plurality of shanks secured to said drum and projecting radially outward therefrom; c. a worn tamper cap secured to the free end of one of said shanks, said worn tamper cap having a worn tamping surface; and d. a restoring cap fixed to the tamping surface of said worn tamper cap, said restoring cap being formed with a bottom wall having a generally concave configuration to conform generally with the contour of the worn tamping surface of said worn tamper cap on which it is fixed, said restoring cap being further formed with a tamping surface having end portions and a ridge portion intermediate of and parallel with said end portions, and confronting side walls extending from said ridge portion toward said end portions sloping angularly with decreasing depth.
 4. A compaction roller as claimed in claim 3 wherein said tamping surface includes rectangular portions that meet at a transverse junction which forms said ridge portion, said rectangular portions extending oppositely and angularly from said ridge portion. 